LONDON: Britain’s Queen Consort, Camilla, has chosen a crown without the controversial colonial-era Kohinoor diamond claimed by India for her Coronation ceremony with husband King Charles III on May 6, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Camilla’s choice of the Queen Mary Crown for the coronation means it may only have a replica of one of the world’s largest cut diamonds, as the original now adorns the crown of Queen Elizabeth II’s mother – Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
The palace on Tuesday said that the Queen Mary Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London to be repurposed for the ceremony on May 6 with jewels paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
While the current version of Queen Mary’s crown has a front cross set with a detachable rock crystal replica of the Kohinoor diamond, it isn’t known yet if that would be retained after the changes are made for the Coronation.
“The choice of Queen Mary’s Crown by Her Majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
There had been much speculation over the crown to be chosen by Camilla, with reports suggesting that the one worn by Charles’ grandmother, the Queen Mother, which bears the Kohinoor was a likely choice.
However, it is believed that diplomatic sensitivity may have been considered in the final choice, even though the Queen Mary Crown also has a history of once being adorned with the controversial diamond.
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